Hand trucks are commonly used for moving heavy or bulky items. The typical hand truck has a platform or base plate for receiving the article to be moved, a pair of wheels for moving the hand truck, a pair of side rails for securing the articles to the hand truck and a handle on the end of the side rails opposite of the wheels and platform.
A typical use for a hand truck is in connection with a delivery truck to move packages or beverages in cans or bottles, such as beer or soft drinks. The delivery person may make up to sixty deliveries in one day and is required to secure the hand truck to the vehicle for movement to the next delivery site.
The hand truck could be placed inside the vehicle to move from location to location, but that solution poses problems. The hand truck would have to be loaded and unloaded from the vehicle at every stop, which can be cumbersome. Furthermore, the hand truck would take up valuable space inside the vehicle which could be used for items to be delivered. Finally, the hand truck still would need to be secured inside the truck to prevent movement during driving, resulting in both noise and possible damage to it and other items in the vehicle.
An alternative to placing the hand truck inside the vehicle is to place the hand truck on the outside of the vehicle. While not taking up valuable space, the placing of the hand truck outside the vehicle poses problems of its own. For example, the hand truck must be properly secured to prevent it from falling from the vehicle when the vehicle is moving and to prevent theft of the hand truck when the vehicle is stopped. It is common to secure the hand truck to the vehicle by bungee cords, rubber straps or padlock and chain. This method is generally not satisfactorily, especially in cold and wet weather.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,443,730 discloses an apparatus for releasably engaging a dolly or hand truck to a vehicle. The apparatus has a pair of pivoting engagement arms that engage the frame of the hand truck. Each arm engages one of the pair of side rails of the hand truck. The engagement arms include slots that surround the frame of the hand truck. The engagement arms pivot and work in connection with cradles located on the frame to secure the hand truck. The pivoting arms are normally retained in the closed position by means of a spring. A linkage mechanism releases the engagement arms when the hand truck is desired to be removed. A lock may be inserted through the latching arms and frames to lock the hand truck to the holder.
It is desired to have a hand truck security system that allows securing the hand truck to the vehicle with one hand, requires access to the interior of the vehicle to remove the hand truck and indicates when the hand truck is not properly secured.